'Scared of truth, sought refuge in lies': Rahul Gandhi reacts to PM Modi's RS speech

Both Houses of Parliament are scheduled to continue the discussion on the motion of 'Thanks to the President's Address' during the ongoing Budget Session on Thursday.

In the Lok Sabha, the motion was moved by Sarbananda Sonowal and seconded by Tejasvi Surya. The House has allotted 18 hours for the discussion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address on Wednesday; instead, after repeated disruptions and sloganeering by the Opposition members, the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha.

The Prime Minister is likely to reply in the Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks today as the discussion continues.

In the Upper House, the BJP MP Sadananad Master had moved the motion of thanks. The motion comes in response to President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of both the Houses to mark the beginning of the Budget Session on January 28.

According to the List of Business, the Lower House is scheduled to begin with the discussion on the Union Budget 2026-27.

MP Suresh Gopi will make a statement regarding the status of implementation of recommendations contained in the Fifth Report of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas (2024-25) on Action Taken by the Government on the Recommendations and Observations contained in the 23rd Report of the Committee (2023-24) on 'Review of Policy on Import of Crude Oil' pertaining to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The proceedings of the Upper House will begin with an obituary reference to former MP Thomas Kuthiravattom.

On Wednesday, amid a fierce row over former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff, triggered sharp accusations, and an all-out BJP versus Opposition slugfest inside and outside the Parliament.

This led to PM Modi's address being postponed as the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha amid ruckus.

The standoff centres on Rahul Gandhi's attempt to cite Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff in eastern Ladakh, which BJP leaders said violated House rules and risked demoralising the armed forces.

While the BJP accused the Opposition of deliberately creating a ruckus in Parliament to stop PM Modi from speaking, the Congress alleged that he stayed away because he did not want scrutiny on national security.

The Budget session comprises 30 sittings over 65 days and concludes on April 2. The two Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to enable the Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments.

Telugu Desam Party MP Masthan Rao Yadav Beeda has launched a scathing attack on the YSR Congress Party, accusing them of deliberately spreading falsehoods about the public-private partnership model, particularly in the healthcare sector.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Masthan Rao said the people of Andhra Pradesh were listening with shock, anger and frustration as YSRCP leaders lowered the dignity of Parliament by speaking "blatant untruths" despite repeated warnings from the Chairman.

"YSRCP's repeated attempts to mislead Parliament on issues such as PPP in healthcare, Polavaram project and Vizag Steel Plant were nothing but a desperate bid to stay politically relevant after losing the confidence of the people," Masthan Rao said.

Coming down heavily on YSRCP's narrative on the PPP model, the TDP MP said their opposition exposed a complete lack of understanding of governance and economics.

"YSRCP leaders were deliberately equating PPP with privatisation to mislead the public, adding that this distortion clearly exposed their hypocrisy and dishonest politics," said Rao.

Countering YSRCP's claims on the Vizag Steel Plant, he questioned whether the privatisation process was almost completed during YSRCP's own tenure and why they chose to remain silent at that time. On the Polavaram project, he said the previous regime was responsible for slowing progress to a shocking 3.84 per cent and for damaging existing structures due to prolonged inaction and negligence.

Speaking on healthcare infrastructure, Masthan Rao Yadav Beedha said the previous YSRCP government promised 17 new medical colleges but failed to even lay a single stone for most of them, exposing the wide gap between their announcements and actual delivery.

He also criticised YSRCP's selective concern for the environment, noting that while they were destroying natural heritage such as Rishikonda, the present NDA government in Andhra Pradesh was focused on attracting international investment and ensuring sustainable development.

The TDP MP reiterated that the NDA government led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is firmly committed to development, transparency, and welfare, unlike the YSRCP, which continues to rely on misinformation, disruption, and political theatrics.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday criticised the suspension of eight Opposition MPs of Lok Sabha, calling it a "fundamental issue of democracy" and accusing the ruling NDA of stifling dissent and debate in Parliament.

Speaking to reporters about the suspensions, Priyanka Gandhi said such incidents have become routine during parliamentary sessions and alleged that the Opposition, particularly the Leader of Opposition was deliberately being prevented from speaking.

"What is new here? You see this happening in every session. They are doing it even more now," she said. "It is not just a case of LoP not being allowed to speak; it is a fundamental issue of democracy and of the way the Parliament works. Parliament is the temple of democracy. What is the problem if someone presents their views? They are scared of what would come out of it," she told ANI.

The Congress MP also referred to a former Army chief MM Naravane's book that she claimed was not allowed to be published, alleging it contained critical material related to the government's handling of national security challenges.

"They did not allow the publication of the book. As far as I know, the book has things that show the reaction of PM, HM and Defence Minister and our top leadership in the face of a crisis. This clearly shows their character and that of their Govt, that when the country is being attacked and Chinese troops are coming to our border, how they are reacting," Priyanka Gandhi said.

She further raised the issue of the recently released Epstein files, alleging serious questions regarding the government's conduct.

"Epstein Files have been released and it states how the Govt contacted him, a convicted sex trafficker, a convicted child sex offender. So, how was he being used. This is also an authenticated document. What will be discussed in Parliament, if not this?" she asked.

Defending Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi said he was being targeted despite relying on publicly available and authenticated sources.

"He is quoting from a published source. He even authenticated it yesterday. So, what is the problem if he speaks?" she said. "They (NDA) quote from books and magazine articles when they speak. As long as it is a published source, it is okay," she added.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the standoff between the opposition and government in Lok Sabha escalated after eight opposition MPs were suspended for "unruly behaviour" and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of not allowing him to proceed with his speech on the motion of thanks to the President's address.

Eight opposition members were suspended from Lok Sabha for the remainder of the budget session for violating rules and "throwing papers on the chair" following uproar in the House over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's insistence on mentioning a specific reference about the border tensions with China in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

On Monday during a debate on a motion of thanks to the President's address, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the government after it objected to his remarks at the beginning of his speech and asked, "why are they so scared of the Army Chief's perspective?" Gandhi sought to quote from a magazine report on the border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, which cited an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief MM Naravane.

Proceedings in Lok Sabha were adjourned for the day seconds after it assembled for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to the debate on Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.The House went into chaos as soon as the proceedings began at 5pm. Congress MPs entered the well and aisles and raised slogans over the suspension of eight MPs during the ongoing Budget Session.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on the India–US trade deal, union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal said the agreement serves India’s long-term national interest.

“This strategic agreement with the world’s largest economy, which will accelerate global growth and innovation in the coming years, is in the larger interest of the people of India and the nation. It strengthens both a Developed India and a Self-Reliant India. We will continue to work relentlessly to translate this vision of the honourable Prime Minister into reality for our country,” he said.

Congress MP KC Venugopal on Wednesday accused the ruling party of obstructing parliamentary proceedings, asserting that the Opposition is prepared to conduct business but the government is unwilling to allow the House to function.

“We are ready to function, but it is up to them. They don’t want the House to function. They can suspend each and every member of the House," Venugopal said, as cited by ANI.

In the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said India and the United States have complementary economies, creating scope for expanded trade as India moves towards its Viksit Bharat goals.

"As India is advancing on the path of Viksit Bharat, it will be important to enhance our capability in energy, aviation, data centres, nuclear energy, and several other areas. America is a leading nation in these sectors. So, it is natural for us to focus on the trade opportunities in these sectors with which there will be expansion in not just our purchasing but also in our exports," Goyal said.

Congress member Pramod Tiwari on Wednesday raised a point of order in the Rajya Sabha, objecting to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal addressing a press conference on the Indo-US trade deal outside Parliament while the House was in session.

"The House functions on rules and traditions. The tradition of the House has been that when a Parliament session is going on, policy matters cannot be raised outside. Yesterday, however, the commerce minister held a press conference on the trade deal," Tiwari said during Zero Hour, while citing Rule 258.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the India–US trade agreement, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that tariffs imposed by the United States on Indian goods are lower than those faced by several of India’s competitor nations. He added that the trade deal would open up new opportunities for skilled Indian professionals and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs in the US market).